San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1887-09-08
A Dangerous Game.
by THE AUTHOR OF my DEAREST HEART"

....e Is a suIJauIe pcTSUh GO accompany YOU
II shall not ask her Il you GO"
THANK you. DO you suppose that Iwant
TO gO-Ihat it is particularly delightful to b,
your chaperOn"
Sometimes you like going Gilbert said
| he would try To see us this morning"
'DO you think | care TO run .hs risk OF
offending uncle Richard, who will no doubt
hear something of it, for the sake Of Gilbert
GaSc0igne? Pray do not imagine | agree
with you because have helped you once Of
twice. think Gilbert would be far better
employed looking after his business"
81 am sure you like to see himp' cried
Annis. you know he does not neglect his
work. | used to think yuu-"
Pray spare me your thoughts" interrupt.
ed Illda abruptly. so long as you can get
uncle Richards companion to go with you,
! should advise you TO do so. Uncle Rich
ard will gain great deal of useful infDrma,
ton"
Not from Viola Thorne, am surer'
Ne You think she will keep quiet for
her own sake? Possibly; it is of no concern
to me-"
Am |, then, to tell Gilbert that you will
not come to meet him because of uncle?'
You can tell him what you please. He
probably knows you are well versed in fab
ricating excuses"
Not an angry word did Annis speak.
You will not cOmeT' she simply asked.
II will not" her sister replied. Then
Annis came and asked me, and went.
Gilbert asked no questions as to his cOus-
ms absence, and Annis proffered no ex.
PLANTATION. But l determined that, ere |
went again, must pause to consider well
my place at the Grange, my duty to Mr.. Gas
cOigne, and the position in which Annis, in
her thoughtless eager happiness, was plac-
ing me. | could not act as Annis's conf.
dante, and take these morning walks with
Mr.. Gilbert Gascoigne, if any haunting fear
of discovery by my employer was to follow
me.
1t was very pleasant that day. had never
met any one who talked as Mr.. Gascoigne
talked, who was so clever and kind and
handsome. We were the merest acquaint-
ances, and We're thrown together so pecul-
iarly that our conversation was mainly con-
fined to cOmmOnplaces. But l can remem-
Der now half he said that morning, the live
ly chat which gave me my first impression
Of NOrbury, the artistic eyes which pointed
out all that was fair and lovely i'm the scene
around us, the lingering over the beauties
OF the Grange with poets admiration, yet
with no cOvetous accent.
"My cousins are the heiresSes now, YOU
know" he said. II think they are on pro-
baton. | have been on probation myself,
and failed. Poor Annis will be out of il at
last, and l do not know that am sorry,
Uric has enough, and he only fears now
they will say he cOurted her fortune"
And Lady Martini" said, sis married.
She will have her husbands home"
1t was the first time l had ventured to
speak of Lord Martin Pomeroy. Even with
Annis something in the strangeness of
GwendOline's presence at the Grange made
me hesitate.
Yes" he answered thoughtfully, graver
look in his face and in his brown eyes. Then
came a smile. 'And Hilda, you see, is to
marry duke; but even peers are not always
rolling in wealth. The Grange would be no
bad dOwry."
We could see the turrets and the big win
dOws and the tower through the bare. trees,
and | fancied that though his tone was
light, he was gazing at 1t half wistfully.
Once it had been his home; it should have
been his heritage. How could he help but
love it?
''lIOw does business get on, Gilbert?" ask
ed Annis Smlingly, as we stood by the old
wall near the wicket-gate. you ought not
to have time to come out In the morning."
"Oh, Garden is looking after the business !
am not of much use, am afraid" he an
swcred.
at seems very hard" Annis said to me,
as we crossed the park, that Gilbert should
not have the Grange, because his father left
him very little, and his mothers property
was all settled Oh Uric. lie had legal
training, his father being lawyer; so he
went into partnership with Mr.. Garden at
NGrbury, but he lives with Uric, you know.
lie is the best fellow in the wOrld-neXt to
Uric; and they are very fond of each other
Uric is SO anxious that | should tell uncle
Richard of my engagement, Viola; but, for
Hlda's sake, dare not"
But what will you dO?' | asked. you
must tell him at last"
81 do not know. | suppose Uric will
manage it somehow" And of Uric she
talked on untiringly until we reached the
house.
"What do you think of Mr.. Carden?'
1t CHANGED that | asked this question of
AnniS as we sat at tea. l asked it little
hesitatngly, knowing that | must not reveal
my acquaintanceship yet anxious to hear
her opinion.
81 do not like him." Annis answered at
once. II wish did. He is handsome and
agreeable, know; but do not like him.
When we meet him at anybOdy's house, ii
always seems to me that he avoids us; and
l am sure we avoid him-at least, l do, and
l think you do also, GwendOline%'
II hate himp' said Gwendoline vehement
ly. Miss Thorne, will you reach me that
boOk-any book near you? And take up an
other yourself. We always read attea-time
there is plenty of time afterwards to talk, If
any one wants to do So"
rose to take her the volume, and Hilda
at the same time crossed the room to the
little gipSy-table at which Annis sat.
did you give message from me to Gil
bertY' she said in careless tones.
From you, Hilda? No. He did not men,
ton you, so had no need to explain"
80 much the better" Hilda said, and,
with perfectly cold, indifferent face, re-
turned to her seat.
CHAPTER Y,
That same evening Mr.. Crawford Garden